Japanese cuisine, with its varieties of fresh fish, its dose of fruit (cucumber and avocado) and its rice served without seasoning, has long been perceived as being rather healthy. We now know that it is no more recommended than traditional American junk food, and this because of one of its essential ingredients – and which we all love, of course, otherwise it would be too easy:the soya sauce. It has not escaped anyone that it was very salty, but it is even more so than everyone had imagined. Indeed, a study conducted by the Australian World Institute for Health studied 150 sauces used in Japanese cuisine, ranging from fish sauce to oyster sauce, including soy sauce, and it was discovered that one tablespoon of the latter contained 61% of the recommended daily salt intake. That's almost double the amount of salt in a Big Mac, which is 38% of the recommended daily salt intake. A single serving of soy sauce – the container of which is often a small plastic fish – contains around 10% of the daily salt intake.
Before giving up on all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant trips, you should know that not all soy sauces contain the same amount of salt, which can be doubled from one brand to another, such as explains Sian Armstrong, dietician at the Heart Foundation of Australia. “Ingredients served raw are popular because they are quick to eat, fresh and healthy, but many of us are unaware of how much salt is hidden in the sauces we use on the side ". And to add:“Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, which increases the risk of stroke and heart and kidney disease ". Nothing very encouraging then… It is not a question of banning sushi and other maki, but simply of keeping a light hand on the seasoning. For wasabi, on the other hand, you can go there!
